The investigators involved in this review, which was published in the journal ,summarized extensive research on the vast cognitive, behavioral, neurophysiological, and neurochemical changes that can come from just a single bout of physical exercise.

Wendy A. Suzuki, PhD, a principal researcher on the study and a professor of neural science and psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University, told EurekAlert! Science News,

Exercise interventions are currently being used to help address everything from cognitive impairments in normal aging, minimal cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimers disease to motor deficits in Parkinsons disease and mood states in depression.

After examining a large body of research involving both animals and humans, the study authors found that acute exercise was consistently correlated with improved executive function (meaning the mental processes that allow you to plan, focus, and multitask), better mood, and lower stress levels.

So, even if you can only manage to fit in a simple StairMaster sesh once a week, thats still better than nothing.

However, understanding the positive outcomes that can come from just one workout is the first step in recognizing how a long-term fitness lifestyle can literally change how your brain functions over time, and thus how it can change your life for the better.

According to the review, future research plansto bridge the gap between neurological and behavioral changes that can be seen post-exercise, and how these changes differ in humans versus animals.

But, for now, you have no excuse to not squeeze just one workout into your day, your week, your month, or even your year (yes, I do need to stop watching so much, but you also need tostop judging my life).